Valve grinding apparatus



Oct. 13, .1959 E. H. JENSEN 2,908,120

VALVE GRINDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1o, 1958 INVENTOR. EIVIND H. JENSEN BY United States Patent Patented ct. 13, 1959 VALVE GRINDING APPARATUS ivind H. Jensen, Sarpsborg, Norway, assignor of onehalf to Birger J. Jensen, San Diego, Calif.

Application November 10, 1958, Serial No. 772,798

4 Claims. (Cl. 51-241) The present invention relates generally to grinding tools and more particularly to a valve grinding apparatus for valves having a diameter on the order of four inches and larger.

It is evident that the necessity for elimination of chatter and non-uniformity of pressure has not hitherto been fully recognized and the primary object of this invention is to provide a valve grinding apparatus which is attached directly to the body of the valve with absolute firmness and maintains the grinding element trmly in contact with the valve seat under adjustable, constant pressure and Without the hitherto ignored chatter occasioned by prior art devices. Elimination of virtually all chatter is one of the principal features of this invention, the improvement attained being unexpectedly great, and is effected in part by introduction of a virtually frictionless bearing for one end of the spring employed to control grinding wheel pressure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a valve grinding apparatus in which the grinding element is universally mounted in a special manner to maintain uniform contact pressure with valve seats which are angularly olfset from the axis of the [grinder shaft.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a valve grinding apparatus which may be used to reseat many types of lvalves and is particularly eiective with such large valves as those often encountered in ship chandlery, oil eld operations and transmission lines for oil, gas, steam and water.

A further object of this invention is to provide a valve grinding apparatus which can be manually operated or power driven and which permits inspection of the work during the grinding operation without disturbing the original pressure setting.

Another object of this invention is to provide a valve grinding apparatus which is adapted for fabrication from many different materials, so that the choice of material can be according to the dictates of availability and price considerations, the exact sizes and proportions being matters easily determined to suit particular conditions and needs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a valve grinding -apparatus which is practical and inexpensive to manufacture.

Finally, it is an object to provide a valve grinding apparatus of the aforementioned character which is simple and convenient to operate and which will give generally efficient and durable service.

With these and other objects denitely in View, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specication, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawing which forms a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the apparatus, a

valve structure being indicated fragmentarily in broken line;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the illustrative apparatus as disclosed in the drawing includes a mounting bracket which supports the mechanism, a drive shaft 1'2 rotatably mounted in said bracket and a grinding disc 14 attached to the shaft. The mounting bracket 10 comprises an internally screw threaded collar -16 having two pairs of spaced parallel support bars 18 extending from diametrically opposite sides thereof, said support bars being welded or otherwise secured, with absolute rmness to said coll-ar. Fitted into the collar 16 is .an externally screw threaded bearing sleeve 20 which is axially adjustable and can be secured in any position by a lock nut 22. The drive shaft -12 is carefully fitted into the sleeve 20 and is freely rotatable and axially slidable in the sleeve 20 and has a conventional shank 24 at one end to lit a drive motor or'hand crank for operating the de-' vice. At the other end of the drive shaft ,'12 is a flange 26 on which is a thrust bearing 28 concentric with the shaft, and fitted between said thrust bearing and the bearing sleeve 20 is a compression spring 30. Extending from the flanged end of the drive shaft 12 is a fork 32 in which is secured a universal coupling `34, that illustrated being a simple two-axis type, although ball joints or other types of universal joints may be used. Secured to the other end of the universal coupling 34 is a stub axle 36 having an enlarged boss 38 and a screw threaded portion 40 extending therefrom. The grinding disc 14 is mounted on the stub axle 36, against the boss 38, between two clamp washers 42 and is held by a retaining nut 44 on the screw threaded portion 40. The grinding disc 14 is illustrated as a simple flat disc for grinding llat faces, but various discs or other grinding elements of contoured shapes may be used, according to requirements.

The valve 46 illustrated in broken line in Figure 1 is a large valve having opposed seating rings 48 which serve as valve seats, this particular valve being shown merely as an example. The valve 46 has an inlet A50, or outlet as the case may be, having an annular flange 32k to which the associated piping is attached, many types of valves being constructed in a similar manner. The valve grinding apparatus is mounted directly on the valve body and the flange 52 provides a convenient attachment portion, the mounting bracket '10 being held by suitable bolts 54 and nuts I56, the bolts passing through the existing bolt holes in said flange and being Secured to the mounting bracket by large washers '58 resting across the support bars 18. In other types of valves, the mounting bracket 10 may be bolted or clamped in a suitable manner to a convenient part of the valve structure, the long support bars \1-8 providing ample means for attachment to valves of various sizes. If necessary, the grinding disc 14 can be attached after the mounting bracket and drive shaft assembly is bolted in position.

The grinding disc i14 is adjusted on its universal mounting to rest flat on the seating ring 48, after which the bearing sleeve 20 is screwed in or out in the collar 16 so that the spring 30 holds the grinding disc in place with the required working pressure, said sleeve then being secured by the lock nut 22. The drive shaft 12 may be rotated by hand to ensure proper seating of the grinding disc E14 before applying power to start the grinding operation. By' using the universal mounting and having a constant working pressure, the grinding is accomplished quickly and accurately. The-valve seat may be inspected at any time by forcibly raising the drive shaft `12 against the pressure of spring 30, thus avoiding any disturbance of the pressure adjustment.

Byfsupporting the ,mechanism directly .on ...the valve body, accurate positioning and alignment is facilitated. It has beenifoundthat. manytypesof. valves .can betreated while still installed in their working position, necessitating only partial .dismantling .of 7piping v.and valve structure for.access. to .the valve seats.

.The ...operation of .this `invention .will be clearlyornprehended from aeonsiderationof the foregoing descrip- .tionof .the mechanicaldetails,thereof,.taken in .connection .withthe drawing .and :theabove .recited objects. It .will be .obvious thatall said objectsareamply.achievedrbythis invention.

QIt'isunderstood Ythat .minor variation from the `form :of rthe '..inventionidisclosed.herein may fbe made .Without .departure from the.spirit,..and.scope ,of theinventiomand .that the specication and. drawing are to cousideredas merely illustrative rather l.than-limiting.

,.I claim:

l. A @valvegrinding apparatus, comprising:a.bearing s`leeve;.a shaft vfreely rotatable and axially slidable lin .said.sleeve;.ra stub. axle,.a drivingrconnection between said shaftandoneendof said stub axle; a grinding-element mounted on the other yend of .said stub axle; an antiffriction thrust bearingon .saiclshaft remotefrom saiisleeve; .a .spring :on said .shaft and v; compressed between vsaid .bearing and .,said. sleeveand :urging said grinding., element andrsrtubaxleawayfrom. said sleeve; theothen end` of .said `shaftfhaving .meansfcr conection .to a vsourceof power; vand support 1 means rigidly. attached to said I.sleeve .to jsecure the. apparatus -in .working positionon .a .valve bo'dy.

2.. A ,valve grinding apparatus, comprising: .a :collar haVingsuppOrt means iixed :thereto for .attachment fto a valve body;;a.bearing sleevetaxiallyadjustably mounted "in said collar; a shaft freely yrotatable and axially -slidable in said sleeve; a stub axle universally mounted on one end of said shaft; a grinding element mounted on the end of said stub axle remote from said shaft; said shaft having an anti-friction thrust bearing thereon; a spring mounted on said shaft between said anti-friction thrust bearing and said sleeve and urging said grinding element away from said sleeve; the other end of said shaft having means for connection to a source ofrpower.

3. A valve-Lgrinding'apparatug comprising: a collar having Suppen means .-txed y.thereto f or .attachment yato a -valvevbodypa v.bearing..f slefeveaxially. adjustablylrnounted in said collar; a shaft freely rotatable and VYaxially slidable in said sleeve; one -endofsaid s'haftahaving a angeyatt-hrust bearing mounted ragainst-.saidflangeg arcgmpression spring on said shaft between said thrust bearing and said sleeve; a universal coupling secured to said one end; and a grinding element detachably secured to said universal coupling; the otherendof4v said shaft v.having.afshapnk.;portion. fonconnection. to, a-source. off; power.

h.4. .A .valveggrinding apparatus, cornprising: ,la collar; opposed pairs of spaced, parallel support bars xedfto said .;c,ollar ...and iextending .from .dilametrically `...oppnite sides .thereof for. attachment to :a valvenstrueture; said .collar .being internally .screw threaded; .an *.extenrnally Crw-..threaded.s1eeve axially .adiusw-bly` -mountedimsaid .collar and Ilockinggmeans .Eon :said sleeve .whereby the sleeve., mayibe` locked -in` adjustedposition;relativegto said collar;.a..shaftffreelyrotatable and axially .Slidableyin s aid .sleeve;`.:one,..end.of SaidshathaVing-.a flange; athrust vtreaiirigg.,mounted;,againstsaid .flaiigeyay compressionfspring .nsaidshaft betweensaidfthrusLbearingand. said sleeve; auniversal :coupling `securedto` said one end; and a grind- ,3-5 ing.. elerrient.nieta,.chably` .Securedpto .saiduniversalfllpling Y connection to a source of power.

f-Noreferences cited. 

